There are two moments of pure charm on I'm the Fiddle Man. The first is Papa John's virtuoso performance on Hoagy Carmichael's elegant old chestnut, "Stardust." P.J.'s jagged cascades make it a tour de force stylistically and emotionally. The second is his moody rendition of "Solitude," an old Duke Ellington song. Unfortunately, the fiddle plays the starring role on only one other song here. The rest of the album contains Papa John's attempts to sing boogie-blues with only slight fiddle embellishment (with the exception of one true turkey, "Joyce," which attempts to resurrect "Theme from Shaft" complete with horns, backing vocal trios, woodwinds and the rest). As a result, the album fails. Papa John Creach has attempted to be a blend of Bobby Bland, Isaac Hayes and himself. Had he stuck to being the "fiddle man" the album title suggests, this could have been one of the most charming albums of the year. (RS 205)

ALAN NIESTER